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Podcasting in the Virtual Classroom

Linda Elfers-Mabli, who teaches English and Communication courses for Petrocelli College and has extensive experience with online coursework, taught a session on “Podcasting in the Virtual Classroom.” Linda based her discussion on several Webpages she’s made available on her own Website, specifically http://web.mac.com/tntworkshop/2008TNT/Welcome.html

Podcasting is a relatively new way to distribute media files. Faculty have long been able to upload files to course management platforms, such as Blackboard or Webcampus, but now they can combine the availability of uploaded files with the advantage of prompting students to view the latest files through RSS syndication. Linda demonstrated how easy it is to podcast a lecture by recording her introductory remarks and posting them as she spoke. Linda was using Apple technology, and posting to her http://www.mac.com Website, but other technology is available; for example, there’s Jing.

Linda took us to her Webpage on podcasting Uses and discussed the various ways faculty can employ podcasting in both traditional and online classrooms:

Traditional Class

Listen to lecture segments missed while busily taking notes in class.

Listen and listen again to difficult concepts.

Watch and review classroom demonstrations.

Review material for an exam.

Listen or watch lectures missed because of absences.

Online Class

Summarize weekly discussion board postings and replies by students.

Summarize content of student essays.

Direct students to relevant supplemental material.

Present portions of online lectures.

Moving to another page on her Website, Linda discussed the availability of various methods for Creating Podcasts, on both MS Windows and Apple Macintosh platforms.

Finally, Linda took us to her site’s Exploration page, where we found links for downloading iTunes (which lets you subscribe to podcasts from a wide range of sources) and to several sources, both academic and general interest, for downloading and enjoying podcasts on innumerable subjects, as well as links to news podcasts from such sources as PBS, CNN, MSNBC, and others. Class participants then spent the remaining minutes of the session familiarizing themselves with these various sources, and sampling what was offered by them.

2 Responses to “Podcasting in the Virtual Classroom”

Your readers may want to check my newly updated list of educational institutions offering public (free & open) content in Apple’s iTunes U. There are currently 64 schools plus other institutions (museums etc.) Just this week, Apple added the first non-North American schools.